Alexandria’s DASH bus system is looking to improve its mobile ticketing smartphone application, but city officials want the app to be compatible with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s SmarTrip cards.
The bus system views the rollout of the app last June to be a success. Now DASH is working with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission to understand how to improve upon the system before making those next steps.
“We eventually hope to see that merge with the future generation of SmarTrip,” DASH General Manager Josh Baker told the city council during the transit company’s annual stockholder meeting at City Hall on Tuesday. “Our system is entirely self- contained. You’re able to buy a pass on there, add money to your trips, but not on your SmartTrip card. So, eventually we hope to see that system feed into the future generations.”
Baker added, “It’s a little tricky, because of course WMATA had some stuff going on internally in that they’re trying to figure out in terms of SmartTrip in the future.”
But Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said that there needs to be some regional leadership around converging the technology to be compatible across multiple transportation platforms.
“You go to the San Francisco Bay area, and whether you’re riding Oakland’s bus system, whether you’re riding the ferry, the BART, whether you’re riding SFMTA, whatever, you’re using the same card, the same media, all the same system,” Wilson said. “We’ve got to be there eventually. So, not only the bus systems in Metro, but VRE and the water taxi and everyone else.”
Approximately 1,000 bus riders downloaded the app in June, and by October there were more than 5,000 users. The app was made available to accommodate riders during the summer shutdown of Alexandria’s Metro stations for platform improvements.
Last year, DASH reported more than 4 million passenger trips and logged 1.7 million miles.
Recent Stories
It’s been another week bookended with violence in Alexandria’s West End. On Saturday, a man was shot in the Landmark area during a suspected carjacking. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries….
Alexandrians should brace for a stormy weekend. Rain is likely to kick off tonight after 11 p.m. and there’s a good chance it will continue through the weekend as a…
There were no injuries or arrests after gunfire was reported in the West End early Friday morning — a separate incident from the other West End shooting this morning where…
A 2 BD/1.5 BA home with refinished floors, renovated bathroom and fenced backyard is included in Just Listed.
Thorough Testing
Sometimes mold is easy to spot, but you don’t know how deep inside your walls it has spread. It can grow in sinks, cabinets, and other places you frequent every day. If you find mold, the question remains: Do I call a professional? Thistle Environmental, LLC believes in quality, comprehensive testing.
CALL NOW: (703) 929-4036
WOW 1 DAY PAINTING brings people a fast, affordable, and high-quality solution for all of their interior or exterior residential and commercial painting projects. We respect your time as much as you do and provide the quality paint job you expect, in a timeline that is unexpected.
Schedule a consult today:
Made in Alexandria Fall Makers’ Market
The Made in ALX Fall Makers’ Market at Port City Brewing Co. in Alexandria is set for Sunday, Sept. 24!
This is the fall’s most fun sip-and-shop, featuring craft beer from the award-winning Port City Brewing Co. along with food,
2023 Alexandria Fall Festival
Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
